Gov. Edwards announces end to Common Core lawsuit after new congressional act

Governor John Bel Edwards announced Thursday morning he was directing his executive counsel to drop the lawsuit initiated by the Jindal administration regarding the state’s adoption of the Common Core State Standards (Jindal v. US Department of Education (US DOE). This lawsuit is currently pending on appeal before the US 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Office of the Governor sent out the following news release:

The No Child Left Behind Act, through the Race to the Top Program, provided potential financial incentives to states adopting the Common Core State Standards. The Every Student Succeeds Act recently adopted by Congress supersedes No Child Left Behind. This new federal education act, coupled with the process required by law to develop and implement Louisiana standards nearing completion, makes it both educationally and financially unnecessary to pursue this litigation.

"It does not benefit students to continue to use time and resources to pursue litigation that no longer has any bearing on classrooms in Louisiana," said Gov. Edwards. "Instead, we need to focus on doing everything possible to provide students and teachers with the support they need to ensure a quality educational system."

This request for dismissal further means that Gov. Edwards will terminate a $475,000 state contract with Faircloth, Milton, and Keiser, the firm hired by the previous administration to represent the state in the Jindal v. US DOE litigation.

"I promised the people of Louisiana sensible and responsible budgeting and my decision to terminate this now-unnecessary lawsuit represents the kind of cost-saving efficiencies that hardworking Louisianans deserve in their government," said Gov. Edwards. "My administration will not continue the practice of wasting taxpayer money on lawyers and lawsuits that instead could be much better used in the classroom."

The Pennsylvania Judicial Center serves as an administrative headquarters for Pennsylvania’s courts which are administered by the Supreme Court. (Source: Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania)

Court records in a monthslong legal fight over the report say it identifies more than 300 "predator priests" and that grand jurors accuse church leaders of brushing aside victims to protect abusers and church institutions.

Court records in a monthslong legal fight over the report say it identifies more than 300 "predator priests" and that grand jurors accuse church leaders of brushing aside victims to protect abusers and church institutions.

On Tuesday, Ford Motor Credit Company filed an objection to Reagor-Dykes Auto Group's request to hire a Chief Restructuring Officer, saying Reagor-Dykes Auto Group "created their own financial mess" and the company is not following the rules set in the court's interim cash collateral order by the bankruptcy judge.

On Tuesday, Ford Motor Credit Company filed an objection to Reagor-Dykes Auto Group's request to hire a Chief Restructuring Officer, saying Reagor-Dykes Auto Group "created their own financial mess" and the company is not following the rules set in the court's interim cash collateral order by the bankruptcy judge.

On Saturday, Reagor-Dykes Auto Group filed an order to allow 30 extra days for the group to submit schedules and financial statements. On Tuesday, the bankruptcy judge granted the motion and the company has until September 14 to submit all necessary documents to bankruptcy court.

On Saturday, Reagor-Dykes Auto Group filed an order to allow 30 extra days for the group to submit schedules and financial statements. On Tuesday, the bankruptcy judge granted the motion and the company has until September 14 to submit all necessary documents to bankruptcy court.